Evoking Texas in a way that hasn’t been done since, well, the first time they did it 20 years ago, local country quartet the Wagoneers saddle up to hit the road again. “There wasn’t ‘Americana’ or ‘alt.country’ back then,” laments singer-songwriter Monte Warden of the band’s two albums on A&M, 1988’s Stout and High and 1989’s Good Fortune, newly digitized for an upcoming reissue. “We never played the Broken Spoke. I did later as a solo act, but that wasn’t what was going on then. This reunion is putting all that into context.” Reunited with Warden is original guitarist Brent Wilson, recently relocated from Nashville, Tenn.; bassist Craig Pettigrew, who also performs with Chaparral; and Tom Lewis, drummer for Heybale!. The Wagoneers’ hard country sound parlayed twang without trend, and counts among its fans Ryan Bingham, Jeff Tweedy, and Emmylou Harris. On the April itinerary are gigs in Houston, Dallas, and at Gruene Hall, with more coming. Chalk it all up to the Wagoneers being asked to reunite for a 20-minute set at the Austin Music Awards last month in honor of the group’s Hall of Fame induction. If that sounds smarmy, consider that Warden – whose songs have sold more than 10 million records for artists like George Strait and Patty Loveless – has taken home more than a handful of AMAs, dating back to his first band, Whoa, Trigger!, which won Best New Band in 1983 when he was 15. “Never say never, but you can say: ‘This never would have happened if we had not been asked to perform at the Austin Music Awards.’ We’ve worked up 15 to 20 new songs and, not to sound arrogant, but I will be so excited to record these for a new Wagoneers record!” – Margaret Moser